Postal
Privilege (Suspension) Order 1999 [S.I.1999/1933]
&
Postal
Privilege (Suspension) Order 1999 (Revocation) Order 1999 [S.I.1999/2863]
The initial order, which would have revoked the Postal Privilege
(Suspension) Order 1981, would have suspended, until the end of the year 2006,
the exclusive privilege of the Post Office with respect to the conveyance of
letters so as to permit other persons to convey them if a minimum charge of more
than 50 pence is made for each letter conveyed or if each letter conveyed weighs
a minimum of more than 150 grams.
The Order however was revoked, before
it could come into effect on the 1st April 2000, by the latter revocation Order.
Consequentially, this preserved the Postal Privilege (Suspension) Order 1981 (as
amended by the 1999 Postal Services regulations), which suspended the privilege
until the end of the year 2006 for letters weighing not less 350 grams or
costing not less than £1, so permitting persons other than the Post Office to
convey such letters.
Since then the Postal Privilege
(Suspension) Order 1981 has been repealed by the Postal Services Act 2000 (on
March 26 2001) and replaced with provisions in that Act.
Royal Mail's exclusive privilege with
respect to the conveyance of letters (the reserved area) was reduced from 350
grams to 100 grams (80p) from 1 January 2003 and will further reduce to 50
grams (65p) from 1 January 2006.
Useful website links
Postal
Privilege (Suspension) Order 1999 [S.I.1999/1933]
Postal
Privilege (Suspension) Order 1999 (Revocation) Order 1999 [S.I.1999/2863]